Unite members at Mahle Engineering Systems in Kilmarnock will meet with senior company executives today in a last-ditch attempt to preserve the future of up to 540 skilled jobs.

Mahle have stated they will move highly lucrative automotive component production to sites in Italy and Slovakia, ignoring the Kilmarnock site’s return to profitability. Despite repeated attempts to secure their future over the last year, workers have been consistently stonewalled in their efforts to present alternative proposals to Senior Director Matthias Langbein who has refused to provide any rationale over the offshoring.

Early last week the workforce voted overwhelmingly for industrial action after having all attempts to reach a compromise re-buffed.

Unite Industrial Officer Jim Winter said, “Mahle’s Senior Executives requested this meeting when we announced our industrial action ballot, so we will meet them in good faith but more in hope rather than expectation that they will change their minds.

This workforce is angry and frustrated that they have been treated with such arrogance and contempt by Mahle’s top management, particularly Matthias Langbein. At every opportunity the goal posts have been shifted – there has been no meaningful discussions, only diktat.

We have said time and time again this plant is profitable and we will not sit back and let world-class jobs and skills be thrown on the scrapheap. Unless there is a sea-change in Mahle’s outlook today we are ready to proceed with strike action.”